I'm Going To Take Care Of You
by mslaurenmichelle
Summary: The story of TC and Jordan from when he comes back from Afghanistan to when they break up. Based off the prompts from The Night Shift Fanfic Community on Tumblr in coordination with Write Me's (as a general note, this is Write Me #1). Oneshot. Rated T for Jordan's sailor mouth.


**I'm Going To Take Care Of You**

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is my first oneshot inspired by The Night Shift, a show I fell in love with this summer. Currently, I'm working on a multichapter one as well and hope it start posting it in December. This is the first "Write Me" from The Night Shift Fanfic Community on Tumblr. The prompt is "TC first coming home from Afghanistan til the point that Jordan and him broke up" and the prompt is courtesy of Sandra R., so thank you for the prompt. I hope you all enjoy reading this! I don't own The Night Shift or any of its characters. The title comes from the line that Jordan says in the season one finale of the show.**

**Also, as a little self promotion, if you'd like to follow me on Twitter to receive story updates from me, feel free to follow me! My twitter handle is mslaurenmfanfic.**

Jordan didn't get to see TC when he was back stateside until Thad's funeral. In order for her to attend the funeral, she had to swap a shift with someone at the hospital and work two weekends in a row, but it would have to be worth it. She wanted to be there for TC. They'd hardly gotten to talk the last few days, but she knew he was absolutely torn up inside about Thad dying.

She walked into the church and saw TC was standing with his parents at the front of the church next to his parents. She let out a soft sigh, tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and walked over to see them.

"Jordan." TC said breathlessly. "I didn't think you could make it."

"I wasn't going to miss this." She turned her attention to Mr. and Mrs. Callahan. "I'm so sorry about Thad. He was the big brother I never got."

"Thank you, Jordan." Mr. Callahan said while Mrs. Callahan gave her a hug.

Jordan turned her attention to TC. "How are you doing? Really?"

"I'm trying to get through it." he replied. Jordan nodded her head, understanding exactly what he was going through. "Will you…will you sit with me during the service?"

Jordan nodded her head. "Of course, T." She stood next to him and took one of his hands in her own. "I'm going to take care of you."

-X—

A few weeks after the funeral, TC was in a downward spiral. Every shift she'd come home from, he'd be parked on the couch, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a pained expression on his face. Jordan would stand outside the apartment door to mentally prepare herself for the onslaught of what would hit her when she got to the apartment.

But today was different. Jordan opened the door and was hit with the smell of spaghetti, her favorite food. "T…" she called out hesitantly.

He looked around from the kitchen and smiled at her. "Welcome home, Jordan."

She set her bag and coat down on the table and raised an eyebrow. "What's going on here?"

"Well, I decided to make you dinner tonight. I feel bad for the way I've been acting these last few weeks after Thad died. I know you've been trying to help me through everything, so I thought I'd try and make it up to you. Consider this apology pasta."

Jordan smiled at him. "Thank you, T." She walked towards the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his midsection. "I've really missed you."

TC wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I've missed you, too."

-X-

After that night, Jordan thought everything was going to change. It seemed like TC was accepting that Thad was gone, and even though he couldn't do anything to get his brother back, he still had all the memories of his brother.

Jordan walked into her apartment after a particularly grueling day at the hospital and could tell something was off. TC wasn't anywhere to be seen, which made Jordan get incredibly nervous. "TC, what trouble are you getting into right now?" she muttered to herself.

Before she had time to start looking around for something of his, she heard the apartment door burst open and TC walked in. "Don't be mad at me…" he started, causing Jordan to raise an eyebrow at him, something she'd been doing a lot recently. "But I took a job somewhere."

"Be mad? TC, I think that's great! What hospital are you working at?"

"San Antonio Memorial Hospital." TC said sheepishly.

"San Antonio? As in San Antonio, Texas? Like the south? Right by Mexico?" Jordan asked, trying to understand what TC was saying. "Why the hell would you do that without talking to me first?"

"It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I just wanted to get some form a semblance back in my life, and that's where Topher works. You do remember my friend Topher, right?"

"Yes, I remember Topher. I like Topher. But, TC, I work here in Baltimore. What the hell is going to happen to us now that you're apparently moving to San Antonio?" Jordan asked, sinking into the couch, feeling like she was about to cry.

TC crossed the room and sat next to her. "Well, I believe that whatever you and I choose to do, we'll make it through together." He leaned over and kissed Jordan. "I'm sorry I didn't think this through before I accepted the job offer."

Jordan sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "What would you do if I moved to San Antonio with you?"

"Jordan, you don't have to do that."

"TC, I've gone months without hearing from you, and even more months without seeing your face. I don't ever want to go through that again." She turned and faced him. "To me, you're more important than some job. Do you know if that hospital is hiring anyone else?"

"Well, they're looking for an ER doc for the day shift. I'm working the night shift and we both know that's where we're more suited."

Jordan stood up from the couch. "So I'm going to go apply for the job. And when I'm done with that…I guess we'll start packing for San Antonio."

-X-

Jordan was hoping that once they got settled in San Antonio, everything would change, and maybe, just maybe, TC would propose to her and they'd get married. At this point, they'd been dating for a good four years, and Jordan was ready to make the commitment.

However, it looked as though TC wasn't ready to make the jump, and Jordan was seriously considering giving up on it all. But every time she considered giving up on it all, the words she said to TC at Thad's funeral rang in her ears. _I'm going to take care of you_ she'd promised him.

So that's what she did. She spent her days working and ended up staying in the hospital every night because she needed to make sure TC would actually go back to their apartment instead of going to a liquor store to drown whatever was making him upset.

She was tired of being in a relationship where alcohol was becoming more important than she was.

-X-

In the middle of one of Jordan's shifts, her phone started going off, much to her embarrassment. She quickly looked at who was calling her and rushed off to answer it. "Hello?"

"A prisoner from the Bexar County Jail is attempting to contact you. Do you accept the charge?" an automated voice said.

"Yes." Jordan said, hoping that it wasn't TC calling her. Knowing her luck though, it would be.

"Jordan?" She heard his voice on the other end of the line. "Will you come get me?"

"T, I'm working. I can't come get you." Jordan looked around the hospital, feeling like people were starting to stare at her. She shook her head and walked into one of the on call rooms. "T, what did you do to get yourself in jail? You said you were going to straight to the apartment to get sleep after the rough shift."

"Well, I made a little stop at a bar and may have gotten into a tiny fight."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jordan asked through her teeth. She looked at her watch and sighed. "I'm off in three hours. I'll come get you then." She hung up the phone and rubbed her temples.

-X-

Things definitely did not improve after Jordan bailed TC out of jail. Things weren't even staying the same between them. Instead, things were getting much, much worse.

Even though TC promised Jordan that bailing him out of jail was going to be a onetime thing, it ended up being a multiple time thing. And Jordan was getting extremely pissed off about it.

One night, she snapped. "God damn it, TC, just stop with all the bullshit!" she yelled during an argument. TC stopped talking and just stared at her, blinking a few times. "I just can't keep doing this anymore. I can't keep bailing you out of jail because sooner or later I'm not going to have the money to do that and to pay the rent for this place, and do everything else because you can't stop drinking alcohol. Here's the thing, TC. When I have a rough day at work, yes, I do like to let off some steam, let loose, and have just drink, but it doesn't happen all the fucking time. I talk to people about and I get everything off my chest that way. You and I have almost started leading our lives as if we're reading a fucking script every single goddamn night. Well I'm sick and tired of it." She grabbed her purse from the small table they had set up by the door and walked out into the humid San Antonio night.

Early the morning after their fight, Jordan slowly opened the door to the apartment to get ready for work. She wasn't surprised to see TC passed out on the floor, sleeping off the alcohol. She rolled her eyes and started walking back to the room to get ready for work.

She hated that this is becoming what her life was leading up to.

-X-

That night, Jordan walked into the apartment after her shift, expecting to be alone since TC was working. She was not expecting to see him sitting on the couch, staring off into space. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working tonight." Jordan said cautiously. She wasn't a fan of confrontation after work.

"I asked Topher to swap shifts with me. I'm working on Saturday now."

Jordan nodded and started walking towards where he was sitting on the couch. "T, we really need to talk about what happened last night." She sat down next to him and sighed. "I don't understand why things have changed since we left Baltimore. I thought that you moving here would help you out since you wouldn't have to pass by things that would remind you of Thad. I thought that since you were excited for the job here, you'd change your lifestyle around. But if anything, you've gotten worse." She turned to face him. "Did you know I was back here this morning to get ready for work?" she asked. He looked at her with wide eyes. "You were passed out on the floor. T, I don't ever want to come home from a shift at the hospital to find you dead because you choked on your own vomit. I can't deal with that." She felt tears spring to her eyes. "And truth be told, I don't even know how much longer I can put up with this."

"Jordan…" TC started to say.

"No. No, you don't get to Jordan me. TC, I hate watching you self destruct like this. I love you and I just can't do this anymore. I promised you that I'd take care of you, and I tried, I tried so damn hard, but you don't make it fucking easy on me." She got up from the couch and knelt down in front of TC. "I love you, and I don't know if I'll ever stop. But for now, I just need some time away from you." He leaned forward and kissed her as tears started running down her face. She broke off the kiss and grabbed her bag. "I'll see you around, I guess. You can have the apartment. I'll find my own place somewhere."

She walked out of the apartment, shut the door, and slid down the door as sobs racked through her body. She stood up a few minutes later, wiped away her tears, and started walking somewhere, anywhere, to find some place that wouldn't remind her of TC.

She wasn't exactly sure why she chose a bar, especially considering the conversation she'd just had with TC, but it was the first place she saw and it looked completely crowded, which is exactly what she wanted.

After a few rounds of tequila, she noticed this incredibly pompous looking guy sitting across the bar from her. She glared at him, trying anything to avert his attention. When that didn't work, she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out, hoping like crazy the guy would leave her alone.

She smiled when she saw him get up, and frowned when she saw he was walking over to her. This is not what she wanted to have happen. He sat down at the empty barstool next to her and started talking. "I know like this is going to sound like a cheesy pick up line, and that's not at all how I'm intending it to be, but you are the prettiest girl in the bar tonight."

Jordan rolled her eyes. "Wow, someone's certainly an original." She rolled her eyes and signaled to the bartender for another drink. "Look, I don't want to be rude, but I just really want to be alone right now. I just broke up with my boyfriend and I just want to drink so much that I forgot we broke up."

"You don't seem like the type of girl who needs to be in a relationship to survive."

Jordan was getting mightily annoyed with the guy talking next to her. "Can you just shut the hell up and leave me the fuck alone? You don't know anything about me."

"You're right and I'm sorry about that. Let's change it. My name is Scott Clemmens and I'm a trauma surgeon in Dallas. I'm here for a medical conference with some of my coworkers and I thought it would be fun to have a night out on the town. Now you know something about me, so you should tell me something about you."

"Well, Doctor Scott Clemmens, I'm also a doctor. Not a fancy trauma surgeon like you, though. I'm just a little old ER doctor." She drank her last shot and shook her head. "And now I think it's time to sleep off the tequila." She started rummaging through her purse to find her wallet. She laid down the money on the bar and hopped off the stool, causing a massive head rush. "Whoa, it's been awhile since I've done that." She shook her head again. "It was nice to meet you, Doctor Scott Clemmens."

"Wait, I can't in good conscience let you drive home like that. Let me take you to a hotel or something."

Jordan waved her hand in the air. "Don't worry about me. I walked here. Goodbye Doctor Scott Clemmens."

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked. She stopped and turned around. "It's only fair. I told you my name and job, but you only told me your job. So, what's your name?"

"Jordan. Jordan Alexander." She gave him a small nod and started walking out of the bar, not seeing TC was standing right by the entrance.

TC frowned when he saw Scott laugh after Jordan left. He didn't have a good feeling about this Scott guy and hoped Jordan wouldn't see him again.

_**THE END**_


End file.
